The Legend of the Raven
by NaMaDRI
Summary: A centuries old Quileute legend speaks of Raven:an arrogant,malicious deity that manipulates and controls everything around him.What happens when Legends become reality?When vampires,werewolves,gods and forest sprites are real?ExB LEMONADE full sum inside
1. Prologue

**AN: The scene shown in the prologue is actually the one that came to me as inspiration for this story but don't worry it's not the end of the story it's just a major turning point. It will take a few chapters for the whole story to unravel but I promise that if you bare with me through this you'll have read a pretty good story . I personally love my idea ._ Well , duh it's mine. _But seriously now just put the story on alert and enjoy the ride.**

**One more thing. There is a reason why this story is rated NC-17 . Lemons ahead mates!**

**( o.k. sorry for that just a little jack sparrow crush I never quite got over *giggles*. And yes I can giggle cuz I'm still in freaking high school so suck it up).**

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**_ Story Summary:_**

A centuries old Quileute legend speaks of the Raven: an arrogant, malicious deity that likes to manipulate and control everything around him.

During one of his walks through the forest, he discovers a young Quileute woman bathing in the clear waters of a lake, and he instantly falls in love with her. Knowing what the elders would think of his behavior, he decides to kidnap the woman.

Using his powers, he transforms her into a black swan and takes her near the land of the S'Klallam. After regaining her human form, she begins to cry. She mourns the faith of her young daughter, as the woman was a widow and now her child has also lost her mother. Seeing her grief, the Raven promises to give the woman's daughter half of his powers, as long as the woman agrees to become his lover. The woman accepts, knowing from ancient tales that the trickster god would get his way no matter what.

Thus, her daughter became a half goddess, a sprite of the forest and its protector. Her powers were passed to the next female of her blood when she comes of age.

In present times, young Isabella Swan struggles to control powers she doesn't understand, while dealing with an abusive, delusional mother and a distraught father. She is haunted by a dark presence she always feels is watching her.

She decides to flee back to her hometown of Forks, Washington to live with her grandmother and start a new life. She has to forgive and forget, as her friends have slowly moved on with their lives, leaving her to become nothing more than the ghost of a memory, braking promises made long ago and with it her very heart.

Her arrival in Forks eventually brings everything she longs for: a loving family, loyal friends, and a true love. But, it also brings the materialization of her greatest nightmare. Her powers and the legend that accompanies them bring forth mythical forces from the past that have decided it is time for another cycle to end, and that Bella will be the bearer of the new Raven and the start of a new cycle.

**.:PROLOGUE:.**

I quietly walked out the door, leaving their shouting voices behind me.

"...the hell did you tell her that for?" Alice's shouted whisper finally broke through, as their argument got more intense.

"What would you have liked for me to do, Alice? Just let her rot like a damn vegetable? Let her lay in that bed until she dies of dehydration, because she cries all the time and refuses to drink or eat anything?" Jasper countered.

"No, of course not, but you could've at least been a bit more considerate about it. You can't just go 'he's dead' when they haven't even found the body yet," she pleaded.

"Oh, for Christ's sake! Get real, Alice! He's been missing for a whole fucking month. They found his precious car wrapped around a tree in the middle of the forest. His blood was all over the place. For all we know, some bear has turned him into lunch." Jasper's volume increased once more.

The thought made me stop dead in my tracks.

Not trusting the little strength I still possessed, I turned to look through the door—unsure if to close or remain close—just as I was teetering between what my mind and heart wanted.

"Ugh! I swear you're so stupid sometimes! I wonder what the hell I saw in you in the first place. Can't you understand I_know_ he'll come back?" Alice continued, frustration clear in her voice.

"No, Alice, I can't understand! And frankly, I don't know what you saw in me, either. How can I understand when I look at her, and she's staring at the fucking wall with that dead look on her face? I just want to slap her until she snaps out of it. It's not like she's the only one who lost him. He was my best friend for fifteen fucking years, and _she_ just met him last year. Hell, Alice, I can't even mourn him, because I have to look after her; I'm afraid she'll jump off a cliff or something!"

"I can't believe you! How the hell can you blame her for this whole fucked-up mess? He's the one that left!"

"He wouldn't have left if he hadn't had to prove himself in order to be with her! Because of her, I don't have my best friend telling me this is just one of his lame-ass pranks! Because of her, I'm fighting with you right now, and because of her, he's never coming back!"

"You craptastic prick! I can't believe you're blaming her for this when she's hurting so much already!" said Alice as she let her rage blind her.

"I … I wish she was dead, not him..." Jasper finally said in a resigned voice.

"Nuh-uh! You didn't just say that! I'm gonna fucking ki-"

"Enough! That's enough. Alice, go upstairs and check on Bella. Let's just hope she's asleep and didn't hear my brother's verbal diarrhea. And you, Emmett, grab Jasper and take him for a ride to cool off a little, 'cause if I have to look at him much longer, I might just kill him myself." Rosalie's voice carried through the house ringing final.

I could hear Alice's soft steps as she went upstairs. I was struggling to decide what to do next when several things happened at once. That one split second was all it took.

A strong gust of wind slammed the door shut.

The floorboards quaked beneath my bare feet.

Birds took off from the dark, swaying branches. Their disorientated figures broke the silence, if only for a moment.

Alice screamed, "Bella's gone!"

And something in me just snapped, violently slapping me across the face just like Jasper had wanted so much to do. Something inside of me told me it was easier to run than face all that pain there alone. Without him.

I took off at the sound of their voices calling for me.

I had to go somewhere, anywhere. I just didn't know where.

Raising my gaze toward the sky, I inhaled deeply. My lungs burned from lack of oxygen, and my vocal chords were raw from vibrating with the dull ache produced by the sobs confined in my mouth. My hand went to my neck in an attempt to soothe the suffering.

I tried to remember his face, his smile, his presence, but my mind refused to give my heart that simple comfort. His memory only brought more suffering, twisting the knife in the open wound, digging deeper in the pulsating core. Their fight was a silent one deep inside of me. My heart denied the truth my mind knew, while it hid the memories my heart so needed. My body was just a battlefield waiting for a winner. The outcome would determine its response, either break down or shut down.

As I entered the woods my speed increased, and I found I had wandered away from the path.

My body began to swirl around and around, searching for anything familiar that could bring me back on track. The memories I was trying to unearth were all of him, thus difficult to grasp, to bring to light.

The continuous swirling left my knees weak.

A powerful whistle-like sound coming from seemingly nowhere reverberated through my eardrums, and the sharp pain brought me to my knees as a long, strangled sob finally found its escape from my lips.

I knew Raven was watching me. Hell, he always was. I could feel his small, black, bead-like eyes piercing through my skull, a bemused smirk probably playing on his lips. It only increasing my hatred for him.

_God, to think he was all the family I had left._

And I couldn't find it in me to keep from hurting anymore, from shouting to the heavens.

"Fuck you, Raven! Damn you to the lowest pit of hell!" I yelled to the sky, knowing he was listening. "Why? Why did you have to tell him he couldn't have me? That he wasn't strong enough to protect me?" I asked, not awaiting an answer. "Why couldn't you just let him love me, why? Was it so hard to see me happy that you had to get him killed? Fuck you, Raven! Fuck you!"

My curse echoed through the silence._Coward._

I could feel the forest breathing my name, gasping for the air that I couldn't provide for my own lungs.

My hatred brought forward something I hadn't felt in a long time; the tingle-like feeling of my powers as they began to spread. It started small in the tips of my fingers like always. Progressing slowly like a shiver that steeled my spine, gaining terrain and giving me the means to get where I needed be.

I knew it wouldn't last long; the shock had left me so drained, void of any major feeling besides dread.

The radiating force enveloped me, protecting me like a shield. Protecting me from everything including myself. My skin didn't register the frigid cold of the snow. My heart couldn't understand his absence; my brain wouldn't accept his death.

It was simply impossible.

He had promise me eternity. I never imagined it could be an eternity filled with pain, mourning the death of my love, my life, my soul.

I got up and allowed my instincts to take over, leading me to where I longed to be.

My pace grew frantic.

I didn't search for the path anymore; I just let myself gravitate towards the lake without thinking about it.

I ran and ran, stumbling every few feet, falling, making my way through the thick, dead bushes that hadn't been covered in snow yet.

I felt nothing and thought of nothing, letting the numbness take over.

Despite this, I found my way. My feet touched the wood of the pontoon while my eyes searched the surface of the lake. I slowed down again, my steps fearful. I had never been there without him after that day. I walked towards the end of the pontoon and collapsed down on my knees.

Tears began their tumbling journey down my cheeks, freezing by the time the salty water reached my lips. I was breaking down. My heart had won its comfort. My body started to feel the thorns that had embedded themselves in my foot soles, the scrapes from the branches that had hit my skin, the pain in my limbs, the cold. My mind was disorientated. Memories blurred my vision.

_The shimmer of water in the afternoon sun. My arm outstretched to pick the water lily. A green flicker. A splash. My body floating_,_ giving up the fight. Silence. Another splash. Strong arms around me. Static electricity enveloping my body. Screams. Pressure on my chest. Soft lips on my own, giving me life. A bronze glow. Deep green pools. A crooked smile. A deep husky voice. Relieved, joyful laughter. A comforting presence. Edward, my love._

As I was able to focus again, I took in my surroundings.

The moon was casting its spectral light on the waters, and then I saw it again, the green flicker. I tried to reach it, outstretching one arm and using the other to hold on. My hand slipped and I fell. The water swallowed me whole, and I didn't even put up a fight.

I didn't know what I had been searching for when I went there, but I knew what I had found.

I had finally found my peace.

**A/N:This is the republishing of a story I started here on FF long ago but didn't continue because of the those damn people that kept harassing authors to take their stories down as they apparently didn't respect the rating system. That led to the loss of some of the greatest fanfics I had the pleasure to read and some of them are unfortunately no longer available to readers because they were not and will not be republished on other fanfic sites. And that made me really angry with FF.**

**This being said I'd like to assure my readers that this time around I will continue this story to it's completion and because there will probably some scenes that will surpass the ratings allowed here I will simply edit them out and you will be able to find the full chapters on my blog ( still under construction) or on The Writers Coffee Shop Library where the story is currently a little more advanced.**

**http:/www . twcslibrary . com/viewstory . php?sid=1274**

**There might be a chance you will soon find it on Twilighted as well, just sayin'**

**The reason why I'm not publishing all the chapters that i have written here as well is because the Great people at TeamProjectBeta are currently beta'ing my chapters . You will see that the chapters there will be replaced with the new versions as they get beta'd.**

**Oh and one more thing the story on TWCSL also has banners not only for the Summary and main Characters but also for each chapter because I'm a very visual person and I thought it would be cool to show my readers some of the things that are going through my head. Other things that you can find on the TWCSL site are links to outfits that have been created by MarianneNorthmanCullen**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:OK so this is the first actual chapter and it's fresh of the beta'ing roll so read it while it's hot.**

**If you wanna read the rest of the story, unbeta'ed you can head over at **

**http:/www(.)twcslibrary(.)com/viewstory(.)php?sid=1274**

**where you will find not only the first 5 chapters of the story but also the Banners for the story , characters, villain ( of which you got a quick foreshadowing in the prologue just as Bella was cursing at him) and each chapter but also links for the outfits which Marianne Northman Cullen has so graciously offered to make for me.**

**http:/www(.)polyvore(.)com/bella/set?id=17066093  
**

**And don't forget to REVIEW.**

**.:CHAPTER 1:.**

**I'm sorry, mama. I never meant to hurt you... **

I was slowly swirling my fingers around the small bud of the red rose. Under the influence of the lithe static electricity, I could feel tingling in my fingertips. The flower was slowly unraveling, blooming to show me its true form. The velvety crimson petals were growing, slowly separating, and unleashing the scent of the aromatic oils trapped within them. I continued to play with the rose; it had lived a strained life in the small pot my mother had imprisoned it in. The nutrients it drew from the sandy soil never allowed it to bloom to its full potential. So, whenever I was alone, I would play my innocent game to get a glimpse of what it would look like in my grandmother's garden back home. Back in Forks.

I was slowly returning it to its original state of bloom when I heard the front door open and close. _They're home early._I gasped and tried to hurry the process, even though I knew there was no use. I knew my mother would see what I had been doing - see me at the kitchen table with the small terracotta pot in front of me and there was nothing I could do about it.

Her high pitched scream sliced through the silence that reigned in between the four ivory colored walls.

"Isabella Marie Swan. What the hell do you think you're doing? I thought I told you to never pull this shit on me ever again!" Her loud shriek pierced through my state of tranquility, but the sting of her voice was nothing compared to the sting of her cold hand on my cheek. _Okay, I sure didn't see that one coming_. The slap made me lose my already precarious balance and I soon found myself on the floor by her feet, heavy waves of pain welling behind my bewildered eyes. I looked up into the face of the one that gave me life, searching for any feeling that might have shown me that, somewhere behind her hateful gaze, there was still a little bit of love or care left for me. I found nothing but shame. Only she wasn't ashamed of herself for hitting me, but of me for being a freak, as she so often called me.

Her dead eyes kept me frozen on the ground, unable to escape. The noise of the door opening as my dad came in distracted her. I took my chance to scramble in the corner of the kitchen, hugging my knees and lowering my chin to my chest to hide my face.

"What's going on here?" my father asked with a frown as he entered the small kitchen and saw me.

"She's doing it again, Charlie. She's doing it after I specifically told her never to again!" She directed her tirade towards him.

"Mom, I just..."

"Renee, stop it!" He grabbed her wrist before she could strike again.

"I can't believe you hit her! What's wrong with you? I've explained this to you time and time again, there's nothing you can do to stop this," he told her in a stern voice as he let go of her hand. I felt him kneel beside me and envelop me in his arms, trying to lift me up.

"The hell there isn't! I told you I won't stand aside and let her turn into a freak like that crazy mother of yours. I won't lose my only child to some stupid mambo-jumbo like this. This…This curse that hangs upon your family will not be the ghost which haunts my daughter. She…She has to be normal…" My mother rambled on in her state of insanity.

I lifted my eyes to my father's and saw all the love he held for me. The comfort of his arms gave me the power to keep going, despite my mother's behavior. He looked at me with such tenderness, and in such an apologetic manner, that I couldn't help myself but get lost in him, distancing myself from the real world in which my mother was my worst enemy and I was the freak.

My bubble was so fragile that a gasp was enough to burst it, as if it were made of soap.

"What did you say?" my dad asked with a growl.

"I said, I'd rather kill her myself than let her become some kind of possessed monster," she said with defiance.

Tears began streaming down my face, leaving their salty tracks on my cheeks. I disentangled myself from my father's protective hold and ran upstairs. I could still hear her yelling behind me.

"Don't you dare leave when I'm speaking to you, you little brat." That was the last thing my mother told me.

I locked the door and pulled out an old suitcase from under my bed – the same one I had used when we first moved here in the middle of this godforsaken desert, where nothing was green because of the scorching sun.

I grabbed my clothes and dropped them in it, then scanned the room for anything else I might need. I quickly threw in my iPod, along with all of my documents; my birth certificate, my ID, and the paperwork I'd gotten a few weeks earlier from my old high school, allowing me to transfer to the one in Forks. I added a framed photo of me and dad, and the plane ticket I'd bought with most of my savings, finally stuffing the rest of the five dollar bills into my pocket. I realized, dragging my fingertips across the hundreds of books that rested on my shelves, that I couldn't take more than ten with me, because I only had that one suitcase and it was already half full. I decided to take a few of my beloved classics. I slowly pulled the worn volumes off the shelves and placed them in the suitcase before closing it. Taking the chain from around my neck, I separated the little silver key from the other pendants I had on it and locked my suitcase. My fingers skimmed over the antique round locket, opening it. The hands of the clock hidden inside seemed to mock me; they showed that only fifteen minutes had passed since I had entered my bedroom, even though to me it had felt like a lifetime. I gently placed the chain around my neck again and rubbed my eyes, willing the tears to stop.

I knew my dad still loved my mother. That's why I had forgiven him for letting her torment me ever since the first time I had used my powers, unknowingly triggering this entire mess with my stupid desire to do things my way.

Being a devoted Christian, my mother believed that my powers were the manifestation of the control the Demon held on me. In other words, she truly thought that I was possessed. Once she even took me to be exorcised without my father's knowledge.

Most of the years after we moved to St. Johns were spent enduring her attempts to drive the demons away from my soul.

I closed my eyes and rested my head on the pillow, trying to block the shouts coming from downstairs. I had a feeling this was coming, the moment in which I would no longer be able to live under the same roof as my mother, and her threat was just the straw that broke the camel's back. I had bought the plane ticket just days before when I had first noticed the fights were getting more and more frequent. I hated myself for being the reason behind my parents' constant fights.

As I drifted off to sleep, a single thought crossed my mind,_just six more hours in Hell._

A loud, impatient knock on my door woke me up. I hadn't expected anyone to come check on me before I left. The suitcase was in plain sight and I knew that if my parent saw it they would prevent me from leaving, so I grabbed it and opened my window to make my escape.

Another knock came, followed by someone trying to force open the door, and I quickly shoved the suitcase under the bed.

"Bells, please, open the door." Charlie's shushed, broken plea stopped me dead in my tracks. He sounded so tired and sad.

I slowly unlocked the door and sat on the edge of the bed. He crouched in front of me and averted his gaze towards the floor.

"It's over, Bella." His voice was so spent that I almost didn't hear it.

My eyes grew wide as I tried to understand what he was saying.

"Dad, I promise I won't do it ever again. I just...I just didn't think you'd come home early and, and..."

"You don't understand - we're leaving. You and me. I can't allow your mother to keep hurting you like this. I thought I could make this work because I love her, Bells, but tonight I realized that the Renee I love is long gone."

"I'm so sorry, Dad. This is all my fault. If only I wouldn't be like this she would still be..."

"No, she wouldn't… She, she tried to kill me Bella… After you ran upstairs, she wanted to come after you, but I stopped her so she grabbed a knife and tried to kill me..."

I pulled back and for the first time since he had entered the room I really looked at my father. His face seemed to hold the all pain in the world; the mask of happiness shed, he now wore a grimace that spoke of regret and guilt.

"Dad, how long did I sleep? Where is she? Did she hurt you?" The questions grew frantic on my lips as he lifted his glistening eyes towards me.

"Damn it, Dad, say something!"

"I'm okay. We fought and she cut herself. I called an ambulance and took her to the hospital. She's okay, but she had another breakdown and the doctors said she has to be seen by a psychiatrist."

"What did the shrink say?"

"I don't know. I had to leave the room so they could talk in private. I told them that I was coming back home to check on you, because you were alone and didn't know what happened. I left my number with the doctor and he said he would call me once her examination is done," he said.

I looked at the clock my nightstand. It was four in the morning. I had slept for eight hours and probably missed my flight.

Just then my dad's ringtone reverberated through the silent room.

"It's probably someone from the hospital," he said before answering.

The almost inaudible conversation was easy to tune out. Nothing was easier for me lately than to ignore what was happening around me.

A hand on my shoulder became the lifeline that brought me back to reality.

"What did he say?" I asked, afraid of the answer, afraid that she would come back to get her revenge when no one was looking.

"He, the psychiatrist, said she has some sort of psychotic disorder. She had another episode just before they called. The doctor thinks it would be best if she were under constant care and recommended a few places after I told him we would be moving and wanted to have her near. I agreed for them to take her away to a specialized facility in upstate Washington. Some place called the Whatcom Counseling and Psychiatric Clinic in Bellingham. She'll be well looked after there. I just have to go to the hospital and sign the paperwork."

"That's good, right? I mean, it's good that she'll be well taken care of."

"It is."

"What do we do now?"

"I'm gonna go sign the paperwork and then I'm taking you to your Grandma's. After I drop you off, I'm coming back to sell the house. Pack light, I'm gonna bring the rest of your stuff when I come back," he stated, getting up and going towards the door.

"I'm already packed," I said, grabbing the suitcase from where I had hidden it earlier.

"What? Why?"

"I was going to leave. I didn't want to be the cause of all of your fights," I told him sitting down on my bed again. "I've actually been thinking about moving back to Forks for a few weeks now. I bought a plane ticket and asked for a transfer from my high school to the one in Forks. I sent the majority of the paperwork a few days ago. I'm sorry, Dad, but I couldn't tell you. You would've tried to stop me and I just couldn't take it anymore," I added as a fresh wave of tears broke loose.

He sat on the bed beside me and awkwardly wrapped his arms around me as I ducked my head under his chin.

"I'm so sorry, Bells. I tried to do my best for you. I guess it just wasn't good enough." His words lingered in the cold morning air.

My dad wasn't one for expressing his feelings, so his next words stunned me.

"You know I love you, right, Pumpkin?" he asked holding me tighter.

"Yeah, Dad, I know." I nodded in his chest.

Everything after that passed by me in a blur.

After he came back from the hospital, I helped him pack a few things and he gave me some empty boxes to put my books in. We quickly loaded all of our baggage in the trunk of his old red Chevy truck, and then I went inside to see if I had forgotten anything. I looked around the living room and then went upstairs to my bedroom.

As I was coming downstairs, I remembered the small terracotta pot with my rose and decided that if I was going home, then it was coming with me. I entered the kitchen, trying to keep what had happened there just a few hours before, out of my mind. The pot wasn't on the table anymore. Someone, probably Dad, had moved it to the shelf on the opposite side of the room in front of a framed picture. I crossed the room and picked it up. In my hurry, I nudged the picture frame and it fell to the floor.

I dropped to my knees and turned it face up. The glass was shattered, and from behind it, two smiling faces were staring back at me. Mom and I.

As I remembered when the photo had been taken, a new wave of guilt washed over me. It was my tenth birthday, the day I first used my powers. The last time my mother told me she loved me.

"Bella, come on! Hurry up," Dad called from outside.

"I'm coming!" I called back, dropping the frame to the ground and hurrying to leave.

I got in the truck, shutting the door behind me.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

I looked back to the house and clutched the pot tighter to my chest.

_Bye, Mom._


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N:Chapter 2 is the first part of their trip to Forks and also a bit of a walk down memory lane.

it was originally going to contain the whole trip but the lack of feedback made me a little reluctant to upload it all ...

This being said i hope you enjoy it and can't wait to see what you think

PS Outfit courtesy of Marianne Northam Cullen

http:/www( . )polyvore( . )com/bella/set?id=17071998

song for this chapter is "coming home" by liz wright

http:/www( . )youtube( . )com/watch?v=QfKAF_PU4YQ

**.:CHAPTER 2:.**

Coming Home pt. 1

As we turned left toward Flagstaff on the I-40W, I got lost in the scenery; an endless succession of nothing, nothing and a little more nothing. The desert dust seemed to have swallowed everything in its path: my mother's sanity, my teenage years and my once happy family, leaving behind only pain and sorrow. It's no wonder my mother chose to move here. It was beyond depressing. Nothing and no one could live here, let alone thrive.

Flashes of memories I had tried so hard to suppress were plaguing my mind, driving me insane. Things I had never noticed before. Things my grandmother did, that I never understood the meaning of. Even though they had made her seem greater than life to me.

I slid lower in the car seat, and crossed my arms over my chest, gazing out the window. And I forgot for a moment if I was moving or if the outside world was speeding before my eyes, taking me to another time and place. The blurring edges of the landscape were reconstructed to resemble images that had enraptured my childhood with their promise of magic.

_My grandmother's face as she winked and threw a cheeky smile my way before disappearing in the shadows of the heavy foliage reminded me of her often adventures. She would leave for days at a time, when the sky would begin to turn into a too vivid amalgam of colors at sunset and sunrise. She would only come back when the sky would return to its original steely grey shade and tell me tales of all the magical creatures she would encounter in the depths of the forest._

_The way she would always caress the bark of the trees and the stems of the rose bushes that by some miracle were in bloom almost all year round, telling me to try to make them speak to me._

_The strange songs she would sing to me before going to bed when I was sick; songs that would make the whole room vibrate with a sense of calm as her voice would ring clear and beautiful. She would tell me she was singing the songs of our people whenever I'd ask where she had learned them from. Songs she was happy I would never have to learn. Songs I so wished she would teach me._

I closed my eyes and slid lower in the car seat. My hands slowly began rubbing my temples in an attempt to get rid of the radiating pain that was making my eyes sting.

And the memories kept on playing in my head; a rapid succession of images and noises, pieces of myself that I had locked away until…

_Suddenly, I was ten again, and my mother was twirling me in front of the mirror in her bedroom, making my little dress pouf._

"_Isabella, baby, come on. We have to go downstairs. The kids should be here any minute now," she said gently, pulling me toward her and opening her arms for me to hug._

"_I love you, Mom," I said as I wound my small arms around her waist, smiling._

"_I love you, too, Honey. Now, let's hurry; we don't wanna keep your friends waiting, do we?"_

"_No, Mama."_

_Taking my hand, she led me downstairs where my few friends were waiting for my arrival. As I entered the living room, a chorus of tinkling voices greeted me and wished me a happy birthday, before Alice hugged me tightly with her delicate arms._

"_Not fair, Alice! I told you I wanted to be the first one to hug Bella," Edward's annoyed voice complained. He was looking at me over his sister's head, his eyes shining with some unknown emotion._

"_Yeah, well, she's my BFF, Edward. So, I think I can hug her whenever I want."_

_My mother reappeared just as the young, green-eyed monster was preparing to give some witty comeback._

"_Kids, let's head out in the orchard so you can play while we arrange the blankets for the picnic," Mom called as she opened the door to the backyard, where my grandmother had a cherry orchard just by the edge of the woods._

_Nobody understood how she had managed to make the little orchard thrive in the harsh, cold Pacific climate, but every spring, as if by magic, the rain would stop pouring out of the skies for a few weeks and the temperature would rise._

_I remember the anchorman on the weather channel speaking of it as an 'anomaly'. He would say how highly unlikely it was for it to happen again and in the same area, just around Forks and it's outskirts, for so many years in a row. My grandma would smile a knowing smile and turn off the TV, before heading outside to finish her work in the garden._

_The cherry trees would blossom each spring, filling the air with their sweet aroma and a myriad of pale, velvety petals. And in the late summer or early autumn, my grandma would pick all of the cherries and make my favorite jam._

_This year, though, she had delayed her harvest, because she knew how much my friends and I enjoyed climbing in the trees and feasting on the sweet, blood-red cherries that were so ripe we often ended up looking like little vampires, with our lips tinged crimson._

_My friends placed the gifts on a small table my mom had taken out, and we began playing tag. It was the only game that we could play fairly, as everyone seemed to have some skill that would either make them harder to catch or make it easier for them to tag someone. Ali was small and hard to catch, Edward was fast, Rose liked to chase everyone around, Jasper would just hide after a tree or something and wait for someone to unknowingly pass by him, Em was sneaky, Angie liked to try to catch Edward because she was the second fastest and Ben, the oldest of us, would always try to catch only Angela. Not to mention that sometimes he would simply let Angela catch him and let us watch in amusement as they played their little game of cat and mouse._

_And then there was me. I guess not _all_ of us had the skills necessary to play tag as my natural clumsiness would often cause me to trip or bump into someone, though it seemed Edward was always there to catch me._

_Grandma called us toward the four blankets they had laid on the still crisp, green grass._

"_Bella, you should open your presents!" Alice yelled, attracted by the sparkles coming off the wrapping paper used on my gifts. Alice was just like a cat sometimes; she was attracted by all things that would sparkle or glitter._

_As I went to grab the carefully wrapped boxes, everybody sat down on the blankets- Jasper with Ali, Angela with Ben, Em with Rose- leaving me to sit on the same blanket with Edward, which truth be told, I don't remember minding that much._

_I unwrapped my gifts slowly, not because I was a very neat child, but simply because I knew it annoyed Emmett and Alice. People used to say that they were nothing alike, what with Alice being so small and pixie-like whereas Em was tall and broad, even for his eleven years of age. In reality though, they were almost twin spirits, simply in a different packaging._

_The first gift, which was from Angela, was a journal bound in blue tinted leather. Next was my gift from Ben; a collection of rose stickers and other embellishments for my new journal._

"_These are great, especially the rose stickers, they look so real. Thanks, Ben."_

"_Yeah, Angie told me what she was gonna buy, so I thought you would like those," he mumbled, looking at Angela._

_The gift from the Hales, Jasper and Rosalie, was pretty big and heavy, so I struggled a little to get it down on the blanket._

"_Those are all of your favorites. Grandma left the books as an inheritance for someone who would really enjoy them, aaaaaaaaaand we pretty much _think_ she was referring to you, because she sure wasn't talking about us," Rosalie said. _

"_Oh, my gosh! I can't wait to read them," I said, stroking the golden edges of the books._

"_And last, but not least this is from me, Edward, Emmett, Mom and Dad. Hope you like it, B," Alice said as she put the small velvet box on my lap._

_In it there was a beautiful locket that had a watch inside. The top of the locket was made out of intricate swirls of silver, adorned with what seemed to be thousands of little grey gems that shimmered in the lazy autumn light._

"_What do you mean last gift? You know there's one more."_

"_What do you mean, Edward? There aren't any more boxes," I questioned as I looked toward the table._

"_Who said all gifts come in a box?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes and a crooked grin on his face before whistling loudly._

_The back door opened and a white ball of fur came running toward us full force, stopping only after he jumped into my lap and began to excitedly lick my face. I squealed loudly and giggled._

"_He's Ash, and he's an Alaskan malamute. I got him from our cousins up North; their dog had a litter two months ago, so I didn't have to pay anything for him, but I did train him. That's why I had to name him, so sorry if you wanted to give him another name," Edward said in one breath._

"_He's the greatest gift ever! Thanks, Edward," I said as I hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek._

_Realizing what I had done, I quickly backtracked, my whole face blushing pink because of my embarrassment._

"_Yeah, no problem," Edward mumbled in a daze as he ghosted his fingers over the remnants of my kiss. The same shade of pink that adorned my face settled on the tips of his ears._

_Just as the awkward moment started to fade away, Ash began struggling to get of my lap as something at the edge of the forest seemed to have gotten his attention. Finally free, he took off like a bat out of Hell toward the forest just as a small colorful bird rapidly flew out of the darkness. Following it was a raven whose ink black feathers shone as rays of light fell upon them._

_The raven started circling the frightened bird, and Ash began barking at the pale blue skies. Terrified of the dual attack, the small bird fell like a rock to the ground as if its puny heart hadn't been able to stand the violent distress and had simply given out._

_The dog continued barking at the malicious raven, showing us that it had been, in fact, the target for his onslaught. I stood up and approached the corpse of bright colored feathers, snatching it from the ground and bringing it to my chest before anyone could stop me._

_It was not fair that this poor, little creature died, especially today of all days. _It's not fair_, my mind screamed._

_Just as the expletive left my thoughts, losing itself into thin air, a strange feeling of tingling warmth started to travel through my body, from my fingertips all the way up my spine._

_Time seemed to stand still, even if I could feel the gentle movement of the watch's elements, the quiet tick-tock seemingly synchronizing with the rhythmic beatings of my own heart._

_It was silent for just a moment, just long enough for me to sense the addition of a new heartbeat, hidden in my closed hands. It, too, was trying to modify its natural rhythm to match mine._

_With a gasp, I opened my hands and stared into the beady eyes of the creature that had been lifeless just a few moments before._

_A set of hands squeezed my shoulders, forcing me to stare up at my mother's cold eyes._

_Soon after, I found myself sitting on my bed, looking absently at my grandmother as she tried to tell me something._

"…_so we'll have to keep her in the house for a while, just until she gets better," she reassured me as she pried the small bird from my hands and put her in a white birdcage, adding some seeds and water before closing the little door and setting it on my dresser, like I had seen her do so many times before with all sorts of small birds after treating their injury._

"_Rest now, sweet child. _That_ must have been exhausting," she whispered, glancing toward the bird once more, before tucking me in and leaving._

_I remember waking some time later to my mother's shrill screams._

"_You promised that she was normal. You told me that this wasn't going to happen, that this curse had finally ended, that she wouldn't be forced to take your place!"_

"_I thought it had. Bella didn't show any of the signs that would tell me she possessed any powers at all; your labor wasn't particularly difficult, her eyes are her fathers, not yours, and she doesn't have the mark on her body," Grandma explained._

"_It doesn't matter; none of what you say matters. I knew it! I knew this was your plan all along, to take her away from me, force her to become like you and eventually make her take your place. I will not allow this. We are _leaving_," Mom seethed._

"_Renee, we can't leave. Listen to what you are saying. This isn't going to go away. No matter where you take her. At least here she would have my mother to explain what's happening to her. You can't make her go through all of this alone; these powers will crush her," my father reasoned._

_I got out of bed and quietly tiptoed my way toward my parent's bedroom door, only to see mom frantically throwing items into a suitcase._

"_I don't care what you think, Charlie. It's your choice: you either come with us or stay here with your mother. Whichever way, I am leaving and Isabella is coming with me."_

_Her words cut me raw. She wanted me to go with her? Leave my grandma? My friends? Possibly my father and everything familiar to me behind? She couldn't. Could she? Tears started forming in the corner of my eyes._

"_I don't wanna leave, Mama."_

"_What are you doing here? Go to your room, Isabella!" she barked at me while slamming the door shut._

_In those few milliseconds before the door closed, I saw everything that I would lose. A pair of green eyes branding themselves on the back of my eyelids. Marking what was theirs. Marking me._

A metallic door slammed shut somewhere near me.

The sound wrenched me from my daydreams and I looked around startled, only to find that we had stopped at a gas station to refuel.

I saw my dad go in to pay and then come out with a bag in his hands. He got in and handed me the plastic bag that had some Oreos, chips and a bottle of soda in it.

"I figured you might be hungry. We're going to stop here for the night. The cashier said there should be a motel further down the road."

"Where is _here_? And what time is it?" I asked disoriented by the pitch black sky.

"We're in Santa Rosa, and it's almost eleven o'clock. We're almost halfway there."

"Dad, you drove all day. You should have let me drive a little; you must be exhausted."

"If you really want to, you can drive tomorrow after I get tired," he said as we entered the motel's parking lot.

"OK."

"Good. Now let's check in."

A/N:OK I don't wanna be mean but I would really like to get more feedback.

OH by the way, what do you think about the chapter banners, are they any help in getting a better grasp on what's going on in the story?Let me know when you review.(if you don't know what I'm talking about go to my profile and follow the links to either my TWCS OR TWILIGHTED accounts to see the banners)

Another thing I'm thinking of doing until my blog is up and running (since I will eventually post teasers and other information there about updates) is to send a teaser to whoever reviews so you know what you have to do ...

LEAVE ME SOME LOVE

XOXO

NaMaDRI


	4. Chapter 3

A/N:I hope you guys like this chapter and review because the next ones bring you Edward so more reviews means a faster update.

You can find bella's outfit at http:/www(.)polyvore(.)com/bella/set?id=17134308

courtesy of Marianne Northam Cullen.

.:CHAPTER 3:.

Coming home pt. 2

I woke up just as a door was closing.

I tried to fully gain consciousness, the lingering echo of a dream, a memory or perhaps an illusion flashed through my entire being, luring me back inside of my head.

"_Promise?" I had asked him as my hot tears and snot soaked the front of his shirt._

"_Promise," he had murmured into my hair as his arms wound around me, and he hugged me tighter, his tears joining mine._

_My small hands gripped onto the fabric of the back of his t-shirt and I so desperately wanted to hide myself inside him so they wouldn't be able to separate us._

_Her hand roughly pulled me back and dragged me away._

_My eyes lifted to the faces of my friends, all sad and with tracks of salt adorning their cheeks._

_My falling tears turned into blubbering sobs as I asked again,_

"_Promise!"_

"_I promise, Bella. I'll never forget you! _We_ never will…" His eyes smoldering green held all the promises I needed as they rimmed red and filled with tears again._

I groaned and rubbed a hand over my face.

Lately, it seemed that I couldn't stay for long in the present. My powers would alienate me from any outside influence and stimuli, as my soul fleeted through space and time, digging through the deepest corners of my mind in its search for the past, uncovering parts of my life that were best left forgotten.

There was a struggle between the two constants in my life- one my light and the other my dark. They were the ones that had kept me awake half of the night.

The luminous one had brightened my life with his smile for the first ten years of my life. He had been beside me from the very beginning and was still the one that gave me the power to fight the morbid blackness that threatened to swallow me so often.

The dark one had revealed himself as my tormentor during the first session of exorcism my mother had submitted me to. I had seen him reflected in the dark eyes of the woman that was holding my head between her hands as she recited her convoluted incantations. In my own reflection. He was a monster that thrived feeding on my doubts and fears. He drank my pained tears as his most precious nectar, they were rightfully his, he had claimed. He was somewhere inside of me, fused with me. He ran through my blood trying to incite me to do things that would not only hurt others but also get me hurt. Small things, nothing attention drawing, but big enough to make me suffer.

He had been the one telling me it was okay to play with my powers just to be able to see the rosebud bloom. That I had time in abundance before they came back home. That I would be able to feel like I was home again, in my gran's garden.

The nightmares had plagued me again. The monster was sneering at me from the past, making me restless in my sleep as I desperately searched for a fragile glimpse of a once more vivid memory- the green of Edward's eyes as my sole comfort in the darkness, keeping me grounded, telling me to endure a little longer. Just two more days, after what had been an eternity without him.

I was uncomfortable, the feeling brought forth by the fat, cold beads of sweat that rolled from my hairline, down my neck, licking my collarbone and continuing their tickling journey down my chest. There they would seep through the thin cotton of my wifebeater, their moisture making it cling to my body, trapping me.

Frustrated I got up from the bed and went into the bathroom, turning on the shower.

I noticed Dad wasn't in the room so I assumed he had gone out to get the truck ready to continue our trip back home.

My clothes came off lazily as my eyes were still squinted and tired from the lack of a proper nights' sleep and fell haphazardly to the floor in a pile.

The hot water streamed across my body, trying to cleanse grime that had accumulated from 7 years of pain and loneliness. But looking down at myself, nothing seemed to have changed so I scrubbed harder, leaving angry, red, stingy marks as fresh tears were mixed in with the over chlorinated water that had long gone cold.

The only memory of him, besides the intense green shade of his eyes, I had, was the photo I kept hidden in my locket; a snippet of a 6 year old boy ridding his bicycle. It had been the only one I could find and stash away from my mother's rage…nothing else had survived nothing to remind me of them. Not a single other image that I could use to imagine how my friends would look now in their teen years.

Finally stepping out of the shower stall, I was faced with my own image reflected in the blurry mirror. A quick sweep of my hand and the image gained contours but remained distorted as if to say that that was my true form, my freakish self.

I had hoped that leaving my mother behind would erase her harsh words and the suffering they caused. Unfortunately their whispered forms still echoed in my mind; a repetitive, monotonous soundtrack for my moments of grief.

"FREAK… fre-eeeee-ak, you're a little freak, Isabella. Why can't you be like the others Isabella? Why can't you be normal?" she would chant lowly in my ear whenever we were alone.

A last look at myself and then I was ready to evade reality again.

Thinking about him my only distraction from the disaster that was my life.

As the ragged towel wrapped around my body I wondered how he looked. Surely he was handsome, that had never been a doubt, but had his hair stayed blond like his father's or had it taken a darker, more coppery tone like his mother's? Was he tall and lanky, like I imagined him to be or did he remain the shortest boy in our little group? Did he still take guitar and piano lessons or had he given up? What music did he like to listen to, and what books to read?

One after the other the questions rang unanswered in my mind. _Not too long now,_ my subconscious whispered.

Once again a door being shut broke me out of my reverie.

"Oh good, you're awake. Here, I bought some breakfast," he said, giving me a brown paper bag with a ham sandwich, a cherry muffin and cup of coffee, strong enough to wake up the dead but sweet enough to be bearable.

"Thanks, Dad. I really needed this."

"Yeah, yeah. No problem. Just finish eating and getting dressed and come out when you're ready, 'cause we need to leave if we want to get there today. I'll just be outside smoking," he added before once again closing the door behind him.

I ate quickly, washing it all down with a large gulp of coffee and pulled my duffel bag on the bed to pick the clothes I would wear.

I pulled out a pair of black jeans, a faded pink t-shirt with a rose print and a green hoodie. My black chucks were dirty, so instead I put on my pink ones and added my silver locket, a ring with a gemstone that was the same shade of green as his eyes and a pair of silver rose ear studs.

Closing the duffel bag, and throwing it over my shoulder I gazed once more around the room to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything and exited the room with a sigh.

_Just a little while longer._

"Ready?" Dad asked as he stepped on the ashes of his cigarette, extinguishing its amber.

"Yeah, let's go."

After leaving Santa Rosa Dad drove 'till Eureka and then decided to let me have a go behind the wheel.

We didn't talk, we didn't even chat about easy inconsequential things, but the silence wasn't deafening or oppressing, instead it was oddly reassuring and relaxing.

Getting lost in the scenery was easy as I was driving so near to the coast that I could smell the salty water in the breeze. It reminded me of home, of going to play in the tidal pools with my friends, of times long gone.

Shifting my gaze to my right I noticed that dad had fallen asleep and realized that the agony of my nightmare must have kept him up, my ghosts haunting him as well.

He woke up just as I entered Newport and asked me to pull over when I saw a gas station, to get more fuel and so that he could get behind the wheel again.

As we left another city behind, the landscapes began to blur before my eyes as the sweet, off-beat motion lulled me to sleep.

As soon as I woke up, the warmth and the feeling of familiarity inside of my bones told me I was almost home.

The whole trip had been a constant motion, back and forth through the labyrinths of my sleep induced nightmares, resurfacing occasionally to take a deep breath of reality only to be pulled under again by the force of the currents.

It seemed as though my mind was healing itself and preparing for the better, more luminous times ahead.

I looked on mesmerized as the rainforest unraveled it's vastness before us, taking a deep breath of air that smelled of rain, despite the fact that we were in the middle of June. But then again, I couldn't remember a time when Forks' cool air didn't smell as though it would soon start to pour from the skies above, the monotonous calm before the storm permeating the atmosphere.

Childhood memories were being revived with each new wide-eyed face that looked on incredulously at our passing, each moss covered tree, each house, curb of the road, color and sound. Places where I used to play with my friends, my old school, the local market and my dad's old police station were only a few of the sights that brought my walls crumbling down as salty streaks of water burned my flushed face.

As the town got smaller in the rearview mirror, my nerves grew because I knew where we were going, the magic of the place calling to me after such a long absence. I could feel the rhythmic thump of the forest breathing as it rushed through my veins.

My grandma's house was one of the first ones to be built and was as such farther from the more inhabited areas of Forks. The other house that was nearby was the Cullen's, the only things separating them being the cherry orchard, the remains of a once greater forest, a small lake and a meadow.

A tidal wave of emotions swept over me as a smile graced my features.

In the distance I could see the white, ghostly silhouette of a Victorian house. It was small and simple, painted in a faded blue with white accents that made it stand out even more as we approached.

_Home. _

Looking over at my father I could see as a bright smile shined on his face, making him appear younger, almost as young as he looked when I was ten, as if none of the last seven years had been real.

Only then did I realize that I hadn't been the only one living in a world of suffering; my father had lost it all as well- his only living parent, his home, his job, his friends and social status and ultimately his wife. All because of me.

I wiped my tears on the sleeve of my green hoodie and got out of the car just as the first liberating molecules of water were tumbling gently from the sky.

Our hometown was welcoming us back.

I grabbed my father's hand as he was going toward the trunk to get the luggage and pulled him on the narrow path that led to the front porch.

"Leave it. We'll get it later. I just wanna see grandma."

"Okay. Let's go," he said wrapping his arm around my shoulders as we stepped on the porch.

"What do we do now?" I whispered.

"We just… knock, I guess," he said as he gently knocked on the door.

A long moment of silence followed before we heard steps coming down the stairs.

"Coming, just a se…"

Grandma lost her voice in a single gasp as she saw us standing before her and a single drop of rain fell from her eye sliding across her pale cheek.

"Oh my sweet, sweet children, you're finally back home," she said in awe before hugging us both and pulling us inside.

After thousands of kisses, hugs and words of affection Grandma Marie finally declared that it was late and that now that we were home we had all the time in the world to talk more about what happened to us during the seven years we had spent apart from her so we should go to bed.

"Take a bath, sweet child, and I'll come upstairs to comb your hair before you go to bed, just like I did when you were little," she added before I went up the stairs and did as I was told.

After getting undressed I turned around and got in the tub, but not before noticing in the mirror that my marks were extending again, becoming more intricate, their color growing darker in intensity. They had appeared four years ago and were initially just a small, faint, greenish outline that marred my skin. In time, though, they had grown steadily until they covered almost my entire upper back; an unimaginable design of swirls and flowers in a dark green hue.

The bathroom was still as I remembered it, and as I sunk in the warm water of the clawfoot bathtub I couldn't help my giddiness as I thought of the gift my love would receive tomorrow, on his birthday.

A/N:I know, I know I haven't updated but between my health issues and the shit was giving me when I tried to update it was really difficult to get this one out.  
Let's just say that pissed off nurses and wireless network aren't a really good mix in Romanian hospitals, so yeah...  
Anyways I hope you enjoy this and leave me some love so that my stitches heal faster and you get the next chappies quicker.


	5. Chapter 4

.:CHAPTER 4:.

Happy birthday , Edward!

He sat beside me on the bed after he picked up my old Polaroid camera.

"What're you doing?"

"Nuthin'," he said smirking devilishly as he started to take shot after shot. Soon enough photos' were flying everywhere and I was using a pillow as my shield, the camera long forgotten. Strong hands started pulling on the pillow, making my strength run out just as his arms wrapped around me and he started to tickle me furiously.

"S-Stop!" I stuttered as he pulled back to look at me, his baby blues shinning with amusement. He slowly leaned in for a kiss, a chuckle escaping his lips. "What was that?"

"Nuthin'. Not a thang." he said again pulling me closer.

His kisses peppered my neck as I straddled his narrow waist and buried my hands in his messy blond hair, pulling his smirking lips to my own.

"You like getting me all hot and bothered, huh?" I said, trying to pull on the neckline of his shirt. I needed skin on skin contact or I was gonna go crazy.

For hours he had tortured me with stolen kisses, seemingly unintentional brushes of our hands, staring at me like I was something to eat just to get me all riddled up.

I had known by the slight bulge in his pants when we had sat down at the table to have lunch with all my family that he needed it as bad as I did. But imagine the wetness of my delight when I felt his mischievous self slowly caressing my inner thigh with his big calloused fingers, dragging them back and forth, burning everything in his wake as if his fingertips were made of fiery ambers. My eyes had grown wide as I licked my lips looking for a little moisture to tame the scorching fire. He had mirrored my move licking his own lips and bringing his sinful digits closer to my dripping center.

The slight quirk of his mouth told me he knew that as soon as my parents would leave for Port Angeles I would drag him to my room and have my wicked way with him.

Noticing my struggle he pulled away and discarded his shirt.

I dragged my small hands across his chest, admiring the resting place of my heart, trapped in a prison of bone, muscle and fair skin, its surface tinged pink by the excitement that our activities entailed as I rocked my lower half against his hard on, demanding an answer.

"Tell me…"

"You know I do, kitten," he said ghosting his hands over the clasp of my bra, without actually opening it.

"Stop teasing me already, I can't take much more," I whined pleading for release, God knows he didn't have to do a lot to bring me over the edge.

"I don't think I will. I actually like to see you squirming, begging me for release…"

My eyes grew wide, if he could be a tease then so could I.

"Oh yeah? Well let's see how you like this then," I said moving to stand up from the bed.

His hand shot out to grab my wrist and pulled me down on the bed before I even took one step.

"Where do you think _you're_ going, darling?" he asked pinning me to the mattress with his body weight as he placed himself between my thighs, gently massaging my calves as he buried his face in my neck and started running his tongue languidly across the outer shell of my ear.

" Please, please…"I begged, fingers prying open his dark wash jeans and slipping around him , pulling him out of the confines of his black boxer briefs and spreading the silver bead of precum all over his hard head, making his breath hitch .

"You want this?" he asked as he pulled back a little and began stroking himself.

"Mhmmmm…" I managed to moan as I closed my lips around the finger that still had a bit of his taste on it and sucked greedily, while looking at him from under my lashes.

That was all it took as he bunched my skirt around my tiny waist, moved my panties aside and entered me without a single word, making me gasp in pleasure again and again, going slow and deep within me, touching places I had forgotten even existed until that very moment.

"Fuck, baby, you feel so good…"

"Yessssssssss." I breathed between pants.

I wrapped my legs around him, plunging him deeper into my core as his hips thrust rhythmically against my own and once more brought his mouth to mine as I began licking his lower lip, asking my lover for entrance. With our lips and tongues clashing and fighting for dominance he brought me to the brink, only to stop kissing me and cup my cheek to make me look into his eyes .

"I love you."

"I love you too." I answered as my world burst with colors, mixing with the snippets of a vision that brought tears to my eyes.

"Oh…oh, Edward, what have you done?" the question tumbled from my mouth

"You're killing me here, darlin'. What does your brother have to do with anything of what just happened?" he asked jokingly, trying to catch his breath.

"Alice? Kitten, what's wrong?" he quickly added as he saw my silent tears.

"Oh, Jasper, she's coming back and it's going kill her to find out what he did," I said as the vision crystallized in my mind.

"Edward, listen to me for once in your life. I'm telling you- she's coming back. And you have to break it off, or she'll be crushed when she realizes that you didn't keep your promise."

"Alice, give me a break! I waited for her for seven years even though Gran Marie told us she hasn't sensed her smile in over half that time. You know that could only mean one thing, she's gone and I have mourned her loss but now I have to move on. I can't keep living in this constant depression."

"What about her, Edward? Have you thought that her life wasn't exactly all rainbows and sunshine, maybe? How does one smile after she loses everything?"

"I… I don't know, Ali. I don't know anything anymore."

"Ed-"

"Why are you doing this to me? Are you trying to ruin this day for me? Why now after all this time, why not before, Alice? Why not when I hadn't started this yet, before I had dedicated myself to forgetting her, to burying her memory deep inside of me, so that I could keep going even as a ghost of what I would have been with her by my side?" he asked as he pulled at the ends of his disheveled hair

"Because she wasn't there before, she was just an empty shell, a ghost kept alive only by your promise and my visions of her were so very unclear, she might as well have been dead, but now she's almost here, her spirit is so alive and she's so beautiful, her colors are so bright. And I have to do something, anything to save you both from all the pain I saw in your future if you continue this. You have to stop this_ thing_, whatever _it_ is. "

"I can't do that, I can't throw away this last shred of happiness I've found over some vision you've concocted in your brain. I WON'T." he screamed in my face before storming out.

I had to get out of there, the sooner the better,

So I did the only thing I could think of - I whistled, calling Ash to me and went out the front door as he jumped excitedly around me, cheerful as he hadn't been for a very long time, since the day he had last seen her.

We walked for a little while, passing the meadow and the lake, going deeper in the forest, hoping to find a private place in which to think, as he kept circling excitedly between my legs. It brought a smile to my lips.

He hadn't been very happy since I had started this, well none of them were, and I was glad to see that he was finally excited and acceptant of what was going on.

As he slowed down sniffing around the ferns so did I, sitting on a mossy log.

Images of Bella's face kept coming up in my mind, but it never was the image of a seventeen year old, it was that of a ten year old girl, crying as she told me that she had to go away and making me promise that I would wait for her no matter what, that I wouldn't forget. But how could I not try to forget after the pain of her loss had finally started to fade, when I was given a chance to find something I thought had gone away with her beautiful smile.

I wondered how she would look like, were she still alive.

She would no doubt be beautiful, with long hair, probably darker now - more like her father's - to match her soulful brown eyes and a smile that could light an entire state, I thought as one last tear fell from the corner of my eye.

If she were alive.

If only…

Realizing it was late I decided to send a text to Alice letting her know I would meet them in the meadow for my birthday party and apologizing for my outburst before closing my phone and calling to Ash that we had to go back

A million rays of light adorned the meadow as they passed through the trees, coming from the setting sun. A few blankets had been laid on the grass between thousands of lavender flowers, with all the gifts on a small table besides a pitcher of lemonade, glasses and a chocolate cherry cake.

Ash started barking happily and ran towards the lake as soon as we got to the rest of my family and friends and I naturally started turning around to see what had drawn him there only to be distracted by a presence I hadn't hoped to see.

"You came," I said as I pulled her into a hug.

"Yep,"she replied before pulling me in for an unexpected kiss as everyone around us fell silent.

Raising my eyes to see what had caused the sudden silence I looked over her head only to find myself staring in the eyes of the only woman I had ever loved.

"Bella."

A/N: I know it's been a real long time since I updated and I hope you can forgive me . It was something I had to do for my the last 8 months I have lost almost 100 pounds by changing my lifestyle completely, eating healthy and being a lot more I finally feel healthy enough to dedicate some much needed time to my writing because it is something I truly love. Another thing I wanted to tell you is that I stopped working with PTB, not because of them but because of me, my hiatus actually. So if you are willing to be my Beta or my pre-reader let me know.


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